Abdominal Pain
Abdominal Pain With Dr Sanjay Warrier, Consultant Breast Surgeon at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Case 1 – You are in the emergency department where a 50 year old man has just presented with abdominal pain 1. Initial approach: Analgesia aids assessment o Ensure there are appropriate lines inserted and analgesia is charted to manage pain Subjective assessment o General examination of the patient – how well/unwell are they? Objective assessment o Review the patient’s vital signs (if abnormal, go through ABC assessment and escalate as appropriate) 2. History: Assess the pain (Site, Onset, Character, Radiation, Associated symptoms, Timing, Exacerbating and Relieving factors, Severity) Associated symptoms should include dysuria, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting Past medical history Past surgical history Embryology o Foregut . Gives rise to oesophagus, stomach, proximal duodenum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen . Supplied by coeliac trunk . Pain typically referred to epigastrium o Midgut . Gives rise to distal duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, appendix, ascending colon, proximal 2/3 of transverse colon . Supplied by branches of superior mesenteric artery . Pain typically referred to the umbilical region o Hindgut . Gives rise to distal 1/3 of transverse colon, descending colon, rectum and upper anal canal . Supplied by branches of inferior mesenteric artery . Pain typically referred to suprapubic region o Visceral midgut pain typically commences as vague pain felt in the umbilical region. As it involves the parietal peritoneal it will become sharper in nature and be localised over the affected organ Summarised by Dr Abhijit Pal, Resident, RPAH. December 2014 3. Examination: Appropriate exposure and position (exposed abdomen, patient supine, arms by side) Inspection (previous surgical scars, abdominal breathing, guarding) Palpation (move systematically through all 9 quadrants superficially and then deeply) 4.
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